The present invention relates to a tiltable steering assembly for automotive vehicles, and more particularly to an improvement of a fastening device for a tiltable steering assembly of the type in which the steering wheel can be tiltably adjusted into a number of operable driving positions in accordance with the driver's physique.
In U.S. Pat. No. 4,102,218 issued on July 25, 1978, a fastening device for a tiltable steering assembly has been proposed which comprises a stationary bracket mounted on the vehicle body structure, a movable bracket secured to a tubular housing and pivoted at its opposing arms to the stationary bracket for permitting angular adjustment of a tiltable steering shaft journalled within the tubular housing, a toothed portion integrally provided on one of the arms of the movable bracket, a latch member pivoted to a portion of the stationary bracket to be engaged with the toothed portion in the locked position, a manual lever pivoted to the stationary bracket coaxially with the movable bracket and operatively connected with the latch member to move the latch member toward the unlocked position, an engaging element provided on the manual lever and engageable with the latch member to hold the latch member in the locked position when the manual lever is released, and a spring for biasing the manual lever to maintain the engagement of the latch member with the toothed portion of the movable bracket. In use of the tiltable steering assembly, it is advantageous that the angular position of the steering wheel can be stepply adjusted to a desired driving position in such a way to give click feeling to the driver. It has, however, been necessitated to adjust the steering wheel to the desired driving position at each time when shifted into a remote position upwardly with respect to the pre-adjusted position to facilitate entry and exit of the driver into and out of the vehicle.